Talon #1Review

Court of the Owls was one of the best things to come out of the first year of DC’s New 52, so it only makes sense for this Talon spin-off series to become a reality. The story follows Calvin Rose, an ex-Talon who returns to Gotham after hearing how the Court was seemingly taken down by Batman. Written by Scott Snyder James Tynion IV, the series gets off to a good start, but only that.

Guillem March’s sleek and detailed art immediately stands out from the opening splash page. His style does not look worlds away from Batman artist Greg Capullo’s, so fans of that series will feel at home here. Some faces take on wonky expressions toward the end, but overall March does Talon justice. The fight between Calvin and a Talon assassin looks incredible and ends with a shocking visual that shows this title means business.

Yet for as serious as Talon tries to be, it does not reach the level it strives for. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this start to Talon’s story; in fact, it’s one of the better debuts for any title of the New 52. But, an assassin that sets out on a mission to get back at those who created him? Seen it before a million times before, and Tynion does not immediately offer that extra oomph to make his version stand out. That said, enough solid foundation has been set to make me return next month in hopes that Tynion does just that.

Joshua writes for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl or on IGN, where he recently admitted his love of doppelgangers. Dark Link, Darth Maul, Venom -- it all makes sense now.